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The Three Musketeers are running through Picadilly Circus with niggly stuff, concentration.  There's a rolling maul going on now and Mulligan is doing right he's being niggly, all for one and one for all.

Somebody get that man a valium.  Hat-Trick.

Anyone got a link to audio, mine seems to have crapped itself. 

How the hell did Ibrahimovic get in there?  Done nothing for two games!  I'd have had Gomez in there instead of the big strop...

Gerrard could also have an argument to be included with three great assists in three games, Scott Parker has put in  a few big shifts as well, doing a lot of the ugly stuff very effectively.

Did I hear it right during the match today that Sidebottom said just as a 45 was being hit, ' Choosing to hit this 45 from the ground...'

I initially used to laugh at Sidebottom's silly sayings and quips but the BBC commentary is turning into a comedy of errors and an embarrassment.  Every time McConville speaks he sort of laughs, I think it's due to the ridiculous statement that Sidebottom has just came out with beforehand...

Derry won't be fit enough to match Donegal's system or style of play.  Donegal will slowly etch up a 3-4 point lead which won't be relinquished, if Donegal score a goal to go three or four points up we're fucked.  They'll crowd out the defence and Derry won't be able to break it down as has been the case for the past decade when anyone plays a blanket defence against Derry.

There's a few ways Derry can win this.  Nail a few of Donegal's key runners early on.  Judging from last weekends match Derry will need to put a Joe Diver or Patsy Bradley shaped hole in Mark McHugh, Karl Lacey and maybe Frank McGlynn - all three seemed to be all over the pitch against Cavan for about 50 minutes of the game by which stage it was over.  Dublin removed Lacey last year and Donegal weren't as effective.  Cynical, but it'll be interesting to see how well a few boys would run up and down the pitch after being emptied, dead legs, etc.

All in all though I think Donegal will win handy enough by 4-5 points unless Derry get very cynical or have got a lot fitter since the league stages.

Bar the larger scoring gap I hate to say it but I kind of told you so.    Derry effectively stopped Mark McHugh but all the effort that went into stopping him seemed to free up the rest of the Donegal defence which ran riot charging up the field.  The main difference I seen today was in the tackle.  If Derry got over Donegal's 65 they were hassled, harried, not allowed to kick or fist pass.  It was extremely difficult for Derry to do anything of any use through a combination of Donegal's great defence and Derry's ineptitude!

At the other end of the pitch, after the first twenty minutes or so Donegal could kick pass, hand pass or just run it where they wanted, work a position and inevitably score.

Another major factor I thought was the kickouts.  How many times did Durcan run up like he was going to bomb it out and nicely slice it to a wing half forward running onto it, worked a charm every time he done it.  On the other hand, how many times did Gillis run out and bomb it out.  Erm, well every time really, even when McGee was winning midfield on his own at a canter.  No variation at all - not to place a lot of the blame for the defeat on Gillis alone, just noticed the different plan that both teams/keepers seemed to have in place.

I had Pacman winning every round except the last and maybe one other one. I didn't even watch the decision I thought it was that one sided. Only heard the decision on the radio an hour later and was very shocked!

http://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/126042/3/watch-boxing:-manny-pacquiao-vs-timothy-bradley.html

Hasn't started yet as Pacman wanted to watch the basketball...Weird...

I do.

It certainly would have came out a lot better for Wallace if he had have said what he said in his latest statement initially.  There's a quare difference in saying you asked RTE to lose a tape compared to asking them did they record the full incident in which one of your players is abused by the opposing manager.  In hindsight he maybe would have been better saying nothing at all!

All in all it seems that Wallace was a good coach but terrible at handling the media and players/background staff.  Some people make great coaches but that's where they should leave it, take a good session and that's about all the input they need.  It's a much different role stepping up to be the top dog.  His heart seemed to be in the right place but he seemed to have a funny way of doing things and this ultimately came back to bite him in the ass.

My tuppence worth anyway...

If there was to be a merge, would one of the North's players get a run out at all for the All-Ireland team?  The only one I would think that has half a chance would be Steve Davis but outside that I wouldn't have one of them near it, maybe Jonny Evans at a push.

Northern Ireland fans have to realise that these young lads who they pick up from around the North at 13-16 just want to play football and see it as a great chance to play football professionally, a shop window if you like.  I'm pretty sure that 99% of all Catholics in Northern Ireland would support the Republic and so if the option arises to play for the Republic at a later stage then you can see why they make the switch.

On another note was there not a player, I think it was Alex Bruce, who was due to play for the Republic but was then hoovered up by the North and made the switch the other road?  Surely if there's such a song and dance about the whole switching to the Republic thing then you stick to your principles and don't do the exact same thing yourself?  Or is it OK because themuns were doing it as well?

Froch very impressive and a refreshing boxer who doesn't seem to pick and choose who he fights. In reality Bute hadn't fought anyone of real note and was found out at world class level. A bit like Amir Khan I think, win handy fights well but not good enough for the very top level, hopefully he's found out again shortly as well!

Turning into a real farce unfortunately.  It's bound to be the worst feeling in the world being at a trial for the murder of your wife/sister/relative and there's bastards laughing in the public gallery.

When the public of Mauritius seem more concerned about their tourist industry than a murder of an innocent visitor to one of their hotels there is something badly wrong.  Hopefully it puts people off visiting places like this in the future, I certainly wouldn't entertain the idea.  Too many characters not to be trusted in these places which generally draw their employees from poorer areas of the island who are subsequently surrounded by people on holiday with money and possessions which they obviously see as easy pickings.

Derry won't be fit enough to match Donegal's system or style of play.  Donegal will slowly etch up a 3-4 point lead which won't be relinquished, if Donegal score a goal to go three or four points up we're fucked.  They'll crowd out the defence and Derry won't be able to break it down as has been the case for the past decade when anyone plays a blanket defence against Derry.

There's a few ways Derry can win this.  Nail a few of Donegal's key runners early on.  Judging from last weekends match Derry will need to put a Joe Diver or Patsy Bradley shaped hole in Mark McHugh, Karl Lacey and maybe Frank McGlynn - all three seemed to be all over the pitch against Cavan for about 50 minutes of the game by which stage it was over.  Dublin removed Lacey last year and Donegal weren't as effective.  Cynical, but it'll be interesting to see how well a few boys would run up and down the pitch after being emptied, dead legs, etc.

All in all though I think Donegal will win handy enough by 4-5 points unless Derry get very cynical or have got a lot fitter since the league stages.

Has no-one ever noticed that Keane and Scholes are two boring c***ts?

WTF has that got to do with anything?

They just seem to be two grumpy old characters who stay away from the limelight and seem quite boring in general in my opinion.  Nothing wrong with that, just that they're rather boring, that's all.

Whilst you can't argue that Terry is a bit of a knob and his a long list of misdemeanour's, I just don't see the problem with him getting togged out to lift a trophy.  If anyone else done it (like the three or four other Chelsea players) there wouldn't have been a word about it. 

In much the same way as Donegal won Ulster last year, they don't give a shite what their football looks like.  As long as they're sitting with the trophy come the end of the year, that's all that matters.

It's hard to watch, but if it's effective and Chelsea win the Champions League over the head of it then fair play to them.  Some dung being spewed online about the way Scholes and Keane behaved compared to Terry after not playing any part in their CL final.  Has no-one ever noticed that Keane and Scholes are two boring c***ts? And if memory serves me right I remember them lifting it in their grey suits flanked by the rest of the team anyway.